


So What Now?

by my_good_sis_daenerys



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bughead mentioned, F/F, F/M, Gen, Varchie Centric - Freeform, season 5 settings with spoilers for each episode, veronica centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29050077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_good_sis_daenerys/pseuds/my_good_sis_daenerys
Summary: The story starts at the beginning of season 5 of CW's Riverdale. With heavy focus on Veronica/Archie's relationship . Mention of storylines of past seasons and will seek to run alongside this season. So conversations will be mostly canon others reimagined.Aslo note: starts with the falling out of Veronica's relationship with Archie during prom.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Fangs Fogarty/Kevin Keller, veronica lodge/Chad Gekko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	So What Now?

Prom night – 

Veronica felt good, happy even. The last dance with her friends, dancing her lover-boy -later, after the dance was over, she’d spend the night with him, rose petals and all. Archie was down after the fight, obviously, he’d lost! But this time, his usual hopefulness had not made an appearance. Maybe, probably due to how bleak his future was looking. But she would fix it, she was good at that, planning their future- She knew her dad had spoken to Archie about the deputy mayor position. All was set, their future was planned at least for the coming year. And then, they would figure it out as the time went on. ‘I am going to defer Barnard for a year, so you and I can work together. Side by side.’ Veronica continued as she waited for his eventual smile.

‘Ronnie, no I- I don’t think that’s a good idea’, shaking his head. A familiar feeling making its way into his heart- I do not deserve you-. ‘I couldn’t live with myself if I was holding you back that way’, Archie continued.

‘But you’re not, I am choosing to be with you, this is my decision’, Veronica said. But Archie had to make her see, ‘I’d be dragging you down, I don’t want that’. 

‘I’d rather lose one meaningless year than be out of sync with you, maybe forever’, she tried to make him see. This would not set her back.  
However, at that moment, Archie already began missing her, how she would get once she’d set her mind on something, her infectious confidence. This time was different, he was sure and God he hopped this time he would be proven wrong - Veronica just wouldn’t look at him the same, not ever again. Dropping her hands from his shoulders as he stepped back and steeled himself, ‘Ronnie I wrote that song for Betty’, he watched her register the information.

‘come again?’, she shook her head. ‘The song you found and sang at the speakeasy.’ He swallowed. ‘It was for Betty.’

Her mouth opened to say something, somewhat confused as she looked at him, ‘I don’t understand.’ She shook her head. Trying to make sense of what he’d said, but somehow already knowing. ‘Did you guys..’ she asked dumbly. 

‘We kissed. Once, during Hedwig,’ Archie interrupted. ‘but that’s it! We didn’t want to hurt you or Jughead.’ As if the knowledge of nothing progressing further hurt any less than the ultimate betrayal.

Hurt, she stepped further from him, as the sound of a microphone interruption was followed by Principle Weatherbee’s announcement of prom king and queen or more accurately, Riverdale’s first prom queens. On another day, she would be happy for her frenemy turned friend, Cheryl Blossom. But on this night, all Veronica could think about was how hurt and utterly foolish she felt. Her, planning her future with Archie in it and him, engaging in activities with her supposing ‘best friend’ meant for her and him only. 

Veronica did not want to dance with Archie, not anymore.

Veronica had never welcomed the creepiness of Riverdale more than in that moment. At least she would not have to hold on to Archie, nor force herself to dance with him. Basically, it was a welcome distraction. After Betty and Jughead had run off to do whatever they were going to do, she used that chance to slip out of the gym behind them.

As Veronica walked with no direction in mind within the Riverdale Highschool halls, she felt Archie behind her, a good distance away, Still. There was a conversation that they both needed to have. Veronica remembered when she had asked him, if he had felt anything whilst pretending to be with Betty during Jughead’s death, ashamed of her insecurity, Veronica had asked him. Happy with his answer, she had kissed him, discarding her intuition on the matter for she had known what she had seen during that time. The looks and touches when no one but her seemed to be looking.  
She found herself walking towards the music room. How much of their memories were tied to this particular room - Archie did not know, it felt like this was their room though. Key word: was. As they both felt the inevitability of the end of their relationship. 

‘Did Betty tell Jughead about what happened between you too?’ Veronica asked while she sniffled.

‘No, we both swore we wouldn’t’, Archie answered. Ashamed to lift his head. He did not want to see her cry, knowing it was his fault. Hearing her cry broke him and seeing it would shatter him. He wanted to cry but he knew he should not-he was the one, after all, he was the one responsible. In his peripheral vision, he could see her node her head a little and wipe her tears as she tried to put herself together.

‘Right,’ Veronica said, feeling resigned. Archie screwed his face a little with a light shake in both directions. ‘I am so sorry Veronica, I didn’t mean it to hurt..’, he tried to apologise but was interrupted.

‘Don’t’, a hardness, almost coldness in her voice, even though she was still sniffling. Veronica did not want to hear his stupid apology. The damage was already done.

Finally gathering up the courage to look at her, ‘So what do we do know?’, Archie asked foolishly. ‘Clearly, our last two weeks at high school are going to fraught, and I don’t want them overshadowed by this,’ Veronica sniffled and cleared her voice. ‘So, after graduation, we go our separate ways, no big drama, no fireworks. I’ll go to Barnard and you do whatever feels right to you’. She finished. Finally looking at him. They stared at each other, each one taking in the other, in the privacy that they were afforded for it was over and Veronica would not let herself look at Archie for this long again.  
Archie put his arm around Veronica, hoping she would not refuse. ‘Selfish’ he thought to himself and was however awarded a big blessing when she leaned against him. He would comfort her. Veronica would allow herself to be comforted by Archie even when he was the cause of her heartbreak. 

She was glad no one knew yet, no one could see her. In a moment of weakness lean against one that had hurt her so deeply.

Veronica drew her head away suddenly, as if a bucket of ice water had been dropped on her, and moved away from Archie, as if he had some contagious disease. And just as suddenly and silently stood up and left. Leaving Archie with no one but himself.  
For a time he sat there still, staring at the wall in front of him, thinking about how he had gotten into this mess. What had caused him to kiss Betty? He knows Betty reminded him of simpler times-when the worst dilemma he could be in was choosing between music and football, he remembers of a moment, when he and Veronica had just gotten together, he’d thought that maybe some day… but that so long ago, it felt. So much had happened, he had been to Juvie, been on the run, attacked by a fucking bear and lived-all with one girl on his mind and in his heart. A girl that had chosen him over her father, but she felt that he was that worthy.

Back at the Pembrook, Veronica sat looking at nothing in particular, ‘Veronica, what’s wrong? Was it that horrible video?’ Hermione asked whilst coming towards her, looking concerned. ‘No, its not that mom,’ Veronica sniffled and with her voice breaking, ‘um..something happened between Betty and Archie’.  
‘oh honey,’ Hermione said, sad for her daughter to be experiencing heartbreak on prom of all days. Hermione opened her up for her daughter to fall into her lap, crying as she comforted Veronica. ‘I am so sorry, okay.’ She continued softly.

From where Hermione had come from stood Hiram Lodge, sad and visibly angry at witnessing his daughter experience her first heartbreak.

**Author's Note:**

> share this story and do not forget to comment, I would love to hear what you guys think of the episode and of the chapters that would be released.


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